More than a store: How we're evolving Google Play

You might visit an app store to quickly download something, and in some cases, don’t visit it again until you need the next app or game. Now we’re taking Play from a destination people visit for apps to an end-to-end experience that’s more than a store. We’re introducing more ways to discover, more ways to game, more rewards, and more helpful content when and where you need it most.

Let’s take a closer look at what’s new.

More ways to discover

User reviews are helpful and insightful, but taking in all of those opinions can be a lot. That’s why at I/O, we introduced AI-generated app reviews and FAQs that give you the information you need to quickly decide if an app or game is right for you. We’re continuing to build new AI-powered features that allow you to get details at a glance. Our newest feature uses AI to help you more easily compare apps in similar categories.

Jumping across several apps to find out more about a topic can be a hassle. Curated spaces in Google Play allow you to dive deeper into your interests, all in one place. For instance, we recently piloted a curated space for cricket to help users in India explore all their cricket content from various apps in one, convenient spot.

Now, we’ve partnered with popular Japanese comic publishers to launch a new curated space for comics in Japan. You can access comics-related content all in one place — including free first chapter previews, live events and trailers, editor picks and fan reviews even from apps you haven't installed. Users in Japan can find the curated comics space by selecting the “Comics” tab on the Apps home screen.

We’ve heard that you want more personalized game recommendations. Our new multi-select interest filters now let you manually specify your preferences. Whether you’re a competitive streamer or a casual gamer, you can get more helpful results based on your unique gaming interests. For instance, if you know you want a sports simulation game, you can add that to your search.

More ways to game

Play Pass is our subscription offering that gives you access to more than 1,000 games and apps with no ads or in-app purchases, and monthly offers in top games, all for about $5 per month. Our latest slate includes new offers in Asphalt Legends Unite starting July 24, as well as in Call of Duty: Mobile and Candy Crush Saga on August 1. Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance will also be joining the Play Pass catalog later this month.

For the next three weeks, new Play Pass subscribers in the U.S., UK, Australia, Japan and Korea can get 80% off for their first three months.

Google Play Games on PC helps you play the games you love across more devices. You can start a mobile game on your commute, and then secure the win at home on your tablet or PC. With our new multi-game capabilities rolling out over the next few weeks, PC gamers can play multiple titles at the same time — actively competing in one, while keeping an eye on resources in another.

More rewards

With over 220 million members, Google Play Points is already one of the world’s largest rewards programs. We recently leveled up our offering with new perks and early access to top titles. Now, we’re doing even more to celebrate our members with new rewards and exclusive experiences.

This week, we’re launching Super Weekly Prizes, giving Diamond, Platinum and Gold members a chance to win exciting prizes like Pixel devices, Razer gaming products and merchandise. Starting in the U.S., Great Britain, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, check out the Play Points perks tab each week to review and claim Super Weekly Prizes.

Earlier this month, we gave Play Points members an exclusive experience at Pokémon GO Fest. And this weekend, we’re teaming up with Marvel Games and Kabam for another member event at San Diego Comic-Con. Silver+ members can get VIP access to the 80-foot “Wheel of Champions” with chances to win Marvel collectibles and photo ops with their favorite superheroes and villains. Fans everywhere will be able to redeem their points for limited-edition Marvel Comics and Marvel Contest of Champions character bundles exclusively on Google Play.

More helpful content when and where you need it

Launching today in the U.S., our new Collections experience brings relevant content from multiple apps directly to your home screen. With automatically organized categories — like Shop, Watch and Listen — each Collection highlights content from apps you’ve already installed. With your app content in one place, it’s easier to pick up right where you left off — like jumping back into a show or continuing to shop — or even discover something new.

Press and hold the Google Play icon to add Collections as a widget to your home screen, and tap to jump into a specific category.

We recognize how important it is to balance a personalized experience with transparency and control. So now, you can decide what Play data is used to shape your Play Store experience. Simply navigate to "Personalization in Play" from the main menu, and you'll find easy-to-use controls to manage your preferences. For example, you can tell Play not to use data associated with a particular app for personalization within the Play store.

Google Play is becoming more than a store, so you can spend less time scrolling, and more time engaging with the content and experiences you’ll love. Head to Google Play today to get started. Go Play!